It's All for Nothing

Finally, we have something actually worth watching, and thank goodness there aren't any subtitles getting in the way!
The script feels completely original, with everything unfolding so spontaneously and naturally—it just feels human, you know? It strikes that perfect balance between drama and comedy, and the acting is honestly incredible. I'm sure there are plenty of little things people could nitpick, but why be overly critical right out of the gate?
It’s more than enough for a first impression. I'm eager to hear what you all think...

.. I just caught an ad for that movie in the subway, though I rarely pay much attention to the fine print on those things. I couldn't quite tell if it’s dropping on Netflix or hitting theaters first...
all I managed to snag was the part about it picking up five awards.

...really, really sweet movie...it’s a great story, but in my humble opinion, it has one glaring issue: the romantic subplot is poorly executed and feels totally redundant—and since there isn't a second plotline to lean on, the whole thing suffers. That's why the first half works so beautifully (the acting is spot on, the dialogue flows, and it's shot quite elegantly without being pretentious, which is something you rarely see in American cinema 🙂), but then it just falls off a cliff in the second half. Mind you, that isn't the fault of the leads—they're both solid, even if the gorgeous Natalie Portman carries more weight because she occasionally feels a bit too "earnest"—it's entirely on the screenwriter...
...but I won't ramble on; it's a sweet, engaging, and deeply sincere piece of filmmaking. After this, I'm definitely expecting big things from Nuić 🙂

Chloe Lopez77 said:.. I actually just saw an ad for that movie in the subway, but since I never really pay close attention to those things, I couldn't tell if it’s hitting streaming services soon or if it's strictly a theatrical release.. all I managed to catch was that it picked up five awards..

The premiere is happening right here in Washington, D.C. today, December 7th, at the local cinema

I caught this one at the Tribeca Film Festival, and honestly? It’s okay. And when I say "okay," I mean if we’re talking a rating scale, I’d give it a solid 3 out of 4. It’s watchable, easy to digest, and has its charming moments—but that’s about the extent of it.
The time I spent watching it wasn't exactly wasted, though there are definitely better ways to spend an evening.

What's this all about?

shadowcobra41 said:What are we even talking about here?

An isosceles triangle.

Just caught this on NBC.

The movie isn't bad, but it doesn't go much further than that.
It’s a weirdly specific blend of Emir Kusturica and Lynch.
I was actually a bit surprised by how old-school Nuić's directing style felt.

As for the cast, Janjić was really good, and Hadžihafizbegović was fine (though he's basically playing his usual type at this point), but Rushaidat seemed a little stiff and didn't quite nail the American accent.

Where did Lynch disappear to?

Anyway, the movie was decent enough—I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.

Caught his film at a festival in Chicago. I actually liked him at first, but once the second half kicked in—you know, when the plot really ramped up and the romance started—it felt super thin. It totally ruined my initial impression. 6/10

goldenhound32 said:Where's Lynch in all this?

It’s about those unconventional characters and their choices—the kind that don't make sense at first glance.

I forgot to mention that the Budweiser commercial was a bit too much for my taste.

Mark Thompson6 said:It’s about those unconventional characters and the decisions they make—choices that aren't exactly easy to wrap your head around at first glance.

Who exactly is being unconventional here? The protagonist? Honestly, I'm not seeing it.

Besides, these "unconventional" types show up so frequently in his movies that I find it hard to argue this is a signature Lynch trait.

goldenhound32 said:Who’s unconventional here? The lead? Honestly, I'm not really sure.

Besides that, unconventional characters are so common in this movie that I wouldn't say it's a signature Lynch trait.

Personally, I could easily see actors like Navojec, Stjepanović, Kvrgić, Diklić, or Žalica showing up in a Lynch film.

On top of that, the movie shares some DNA with The Straight Story.

I’m with you—it starts out strong, but then the tone shifts just a little too much... honestly, around midnight I was seriously considering just turning the whole thing off and calling it a night, but I told myself... just twenty more minutes, let's see where this goes before I give up on it.☕

That opening scene, and maybe even that one near the end, actually gave me some serious Quentin Tarantino vibes... they just lull you in with the storytelling and then—BOOM.
Those two scenes were easily the highlights of the movie for me. The acting was spot on, and you could genuinely feel the tension building in the room.

7/10

Hadžihafizbegović and his whole "I'm a tough guy" persona—both in his roles and his actual outbursts—is so incredibly grating that I can't even put it into words. Setting aside the fact that it actually fits the vibe of the movie, I just can't stand seeing him act so stupidly arrogant, ever since that monologue during the first audition. He’s constantly puffing out his chest, and honestly, I think he has every reason to be insecure... those are some pretty hollow boasts.

It’s a solid film. I first saw it about two or three years ago, and I decided to revisit it yesterday just to refresh my memory. It’s laid-back, lacks any pretension, and the writing is sharp. Even the narration works—usually, in American cinema, that kind of thing feels forced and heavy-handed, but here it lands well. The opening and the middle act are great, though it loses a bit of steam in the final third. 7/10

I caught the first 40 minutes or so last night before spontaneously nodding off. I guess I was just exhausted—who knows—though maybe it was just pure boredom. I tried straining my hearing aid to make out the actors' mumbled lines, but they had this irritatingly bad accent and terrible diction—a classic ailment of today’s rising stars. Anyway, seeing how dissatisfied everyone on the forums is with the second half, it seems I saw all I needed to see. And then some. This supposed "eccentricity" being compared to Oliver Stone, Lynch, or even Jarmusch feels incredibly forced to me—just a shallow imitation of someone else's sensibility and worldview. Nuić just stuffs the screen with weird, absurd characters because he finds them charming, but Lynch and Jarmusch *are* those types of characters, just on the other side of the lens. And what would Lynch or Jarmusch even be doing in Canada? Canada is absurd enough on its own, and I think the local creators there understand that much better than some students from a big city.

Besides, I really don't get why there's such a massive media circus surrounding someone who only established himself with a single short segment in an anthology film (*Sex, Drugs, and Bloodshed*). Why should we assume he'll hold up in a feature length format? All this hype is honestly grating; we seem to know more about his personal life and his failed relationship with Nataša Janjić than we do about his actual cinema. I haven't seen anything by kenjac yet, but all this noise is completely killing my desire to watch him.

Everyone’s out here whining about the sequel, and honestly, I get it. I actually sat through almost the whole thing right up until the end, but somehow I missed the finish line entirely. Like, seriously? I ended up skipping forward just a few seconds, saw the credits rolling, and realized I had absolutely no clue what just happened—or if anything even happened at all! Someone, please, just hit me with a breakdown of how it ends...

Caught this great American indie movie the other day. That director Nuić is incredible—has he done anything else lately?
I’d call it a solid domestic production, but since it’s an American drama... 🤷
It's such a shame Rshaidat isn't acting much anymore; he was so good in this, a real natural on screen.

Even the rating is decent, sitting pretty above a 7 🙂

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0833540/